Page 64 of Fallen Empire

Might as well act like one.

“Sure. It’s water.” I avoided her eyes like I was back in high school getting caught sneaking out.

She didn’t believe me.

Disappointment was smeared all over her face like she’d expected better.

“It’s just a few sips,” I said quickly. “She smelled the coffee and honestly… it would probably be soothing. She sounds like she’s been chain-smoking for decades. That’s not normal.”

“Yeah, well, neither is giving someone on a ton of meds and barely stable a full cup of caffeine while they’re flat on their back.”

She was right.

And I hated that someone besidesmewas right.

Still, I tilted the straw down toward Savannah’s lips, giving her the option to take a few sips before Nurse No-Fun had a full-blown coronary.

She rolled her eyes, but let us sneak a few sips in.

Savannah didn’t hesitate. And when she closed her eyes, savoring the warm liquid trickling down her throat, I was genuinely thankful the nurse wasn’t a total ass.

“Okay, Ms. Sinclair, I’m Nurse Ruth. I’ll be taking care of you today,” she said, pulling a pen from behind her ear and pulling her clipboard out. “Tell me, on a scale of one to ten, how is your pain right now?”

I looked to Savannah.

She hesitated.

“Four.”

“Bullshit.” The word flew out of my mouth before I could stop it. “You can’t even lift your arm. Tell her the truth.”

“I can’t lift my arm because there are tubes covering them. Not because it hurts.”

I squinted at her, narrowing my eyes. “Fine.” Two can play this game. I turned my attention to Nurse Ruth. “Can we move the tubes?”

“Afraid not,” she said without missing a beat—like the kind of woman who didn’t like being questioned. “She’s going to stay on the IVs and oxygen at least until lunch.ThenI may consider giving her a little breathing room. But if the two of you keep indulging in drinks and foods she shouldn’t have, I’ll make her wait longer.”

Shit. She wasn’t bluffing.

Savannah’s stomachroared, as if the mere mention of food woke something feral inside her.

“Savannah, dear, are you hungry?” Nurse Ruth asked. This woman was like a damn roller coaster. Sweet and caring one moment—and the next, I was convinced she’d jab that clipboard straight into someone’s throat if they dared to cross her.

“I guess I am. Can I try eating something?” Savannah asked hopefully.

“Absolutely!” I answered before Ruth could cut in. “Anything you want, what do you feel like having?”

I never saw the pen flying until it smacked me in the face.

“What the—”

“Did you not hear a word I just said?” Ruth snapped. “No. I will get her something shecanhave. You can’t just go giving her whatever she wants unless you’re willing to clean up the mess when she pukes it all over the floor.”

She didn’t even pause for breath. “How do you think her body’s going to feel when she’s dry-heaving bile on top of her ribs being broken?”

I hated Nurse Ruth.

But instead of saying that, and risking getting stabbed with a tongue depressor or God knows what else, I sat back and shut my mouth.